How to Make Money as a Notary Public: Here Are The Top Ways

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Are you looking for ways to Make Money as a Notary or want to how to become? Just about everyone needs a notary public at some point in life because they notarize documents of all types.

Most city, state, and local government offices, banks, and real estate firms have at least one notary for all the paperwork they do and to notarize documents for the public. 

But government employees aren’t the only people who can become notaries. Anyone can become a notary public in most states and make money notarizing.

Since so many legal documents people sign and submit need to be notarized, it’s a service people will always need and a great way to make extra money.

In this post, you’ll learn:

• What a Notary Public is
• How you can make money as a Notary
• How to become a Notary
• Ways to make money as a Notary Public

What is a Notary Public?

A Notary Public is a person entrusted to verify the authenticity and validity of important documents.

Whether you’re buying a house or submitting a work application, a Notary’s job is to verify the authenticity of documents. They do this by verifying the signer’s identity, stamping or embossing the form, and recording the transaction.

Technically, Notaries are publically commissioned and take an oath of office. Here are some of the most common instances that require a Notary:

• Formal state background checks
• Powers of Attorney
• Court documents
• Diplomas and school transcripts
• Translations
• Wills and trusts
• Mortgage documents and other real estate transaction
• Business contracts
• Loans and leases

If you’re thinking of becoming a Notary, you have plenty of options as far as the services you offer.

Notary duties may include:

• Maintaining a journal
• Identifying fraud
• Affirming the parties’ state of mind
• Administer Oaths
• Verifying and recording the identity of all parties involved
• Handling various contracts, loan documents, marriage certificates, and other legal paperwork.

How Much Money Can Notaries Make?

The salary range of a Notary is broad, anywhere from $9 to $25 per hour for basic Notary services or up $200+ per real estate document signed. A job in real estate that requires you to be a Notary is probably one of the best-paying positions.

There are many factors that determine how much a Notary can make:

• Whether or not you’re required to travel
• Where you reside
• The types of documents you notarize
• Who you work for
• Whether you work full-time or part-time

If your job requires you to be a Notary, you could get a pay raise if you are a local government clerk, bank teller, or administrative assistant. If you’re a self-employed Notary, you can offer it as an addition to your other business services.

If you offer mobile Notary services, you can charge more because people are paying for the convenience of you coming to them.

The good thing is that startup costs for notaries are minimal, and it’s fairly easy to make money. You can make more money if you specialize in notarizing documents, like real estate documents.

The Notary Public Fees You Can Charge People

State fee rates vary with what you are allowed to charge, which means you’ll want to check your state regulations. For instance, in Virginia, you can’t charge more than $5 per notarial act, and up to $10 in Arizona.

The National Notary Association has a listing of Notary fees by state.

Mobile Notary Fees

Mobile notaries can charge additional fees for travel. Typical Notary fees for travel are between $50 and $75, depending on how far you have to travel. If you want to start a Notary business, consider becoming a mobile Notary. It’s a great side hustle, and many Notaries offer mobile services to clients.

Requirements to Become a Notary

Each state has different requirements to become a Notary. The National Notary Association is a great resource to bookmark, and you can find state Notary laws there. You can also find Notary kits on the site too, which we will talk about in a little bit.

But there are some general requirements you need to meet:

• You must be a legal resident of the state you reside in.
• Some states may require you to pass a background check 
• Be at least 18 years old

Some states let other state residents become a Notary in their jurisdiction if they do business in that state.

As far as background investigations, some states may require everyone to pass a background check. While others may only require it if you say that you’ve been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor. Part of your background investigation may be getting fingerprinted.

You will need a separate background investigation to become a loan signing agent, as this is a separate process.

Also, the required supplies you must purchase vary from state to state, but generally, you will need:

• A Notary stamp
• Journal to record transactions in
• Certificates

See your state’s regulations for more information. Even if your state doesn’t require you to document transactions, it’s still a good idea for all notaries to do this.

Certificates are the most difficult thing to acquire as there are many different types, such as:

• Signature Witnessing
• Copy Certification
• Jurats
• Oaths and Affirmations
• Acknowledgments

Each of these signing services requires a different certificate. While many Notary regulating agencies provide some basic certificates, these are not the most professional.

Because of this, some Notary suppliers have different certificates available to download online. You’ll just need to check with your state to see which certificates they allow.

How Much Does It Cost to Become a Notary

The cost of starting a Notary business varies based on the cost of training, exams, filing fees, Notary supplies, and a background check. It may cost less than $100 in some states and more in others.

You may also be required to get a surety bond which is essentially a type of liability insurance. It ensures that you will fulfill your Notary obligations and protect the public from any wrongdoing on your part when performing your duties.

Notary supplies are available in a variety of places, but you can buy things like your Notary stamp, kits, journals, business supplies, and certificates on the National Notary Association website. 

How to Become a Notary Public

These are the basic steps to becoming a Notary.

1. Check Your State’s Requirements

Be sure to review your state’s requirements to become a Notary and make sure that you can meet them. Since some states require training before becoming a Notary, you may need to take a Notary course.

1. Take a Notary Public Course

Currently, 11 states require Notary training:

• California
• Colorado
• Florida
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nevada
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Delaware – This state requires a Notary training course and ongoing education to maintain your certification for remote online Notaries.

Whether your state requires a course or not, you can take it voluntarily. Whatever agency regulates Notaries in your state can help you find training. It’s often the Secretary of State’s office.

Also, community colleges in some states and organizations like the National Notary Association also provide educational programs to become a certified Notary or a Notary Signing Agent.

Costs for training often range between $100 and $200, and the classes are short, usually 3 to 6 hours. Optional training may be longer or shorter.

What Does Notary Training Entail?

Notary training can be in-depth or quick. For instance, the National Notary Association website offers a Notary Quick-Start Training or a Full Notary Supply Package that provides all the training and supplies needed.

1. Take Your Notary Exam

Don’t worry if you have to take an exam after a training course as they aren’t very long. Many notaries say that it takes less than one hour to take.

Several states require you to pass a Notary Public exam:

• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Hawaii
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Montana
• Nebraska
• New York
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Oregon
• Utah

Note that many of these states on this list don’t also make Notary training a requirement; they just require you to pass an exam. If this is the case in your state, you may want to take advantage of any courses that are offered locally.

1. Purchase Insurance or a Surety Bond

Some states will require that you purchase a surety bond, and you will likely need to do this before you finish the application process. This bond will compensate your client if the court awards them financial compensation.

There are limits to how much a surety bond will pay, though. It could range between $500 and $25,000.

You may want to purchase Errors and Omissions Insurance too, but it’s not required. This type of insurance may cover the costs of legal fees and court costs if a client takes you to court.

1. Complete and Submit Your Application to Be a Notary and Pay Any Fees

Before you can start making money as a Notary Public, you need to complete and submit an application and pay any state fee.

Often, you may receive your commission approval in the mail. The National Notary Association offers services to file your paperwork for you if your state allows it.

1. Buy Your Notary Kit and Seal

Congratulations! Now you’re a notary, and you need to buy your supplies. As mentioned earlier, you can purchase a kit, Notary stamp, and certificates through the National Notary Association to make things easier or get them elsewhere. You can also find other places to buy what you need.

Your state likely has specific requirements on what you need, so be sure to check what those are.

Now you want to make sure your business is set up. Will you have a website? How will clients pay you to notarize for them? Figuring out how you will get paid is an important part of setting up your Notary Public business.

Ways to Make Money as a Notary Public

Now for the part you’ve been waiting for – how to make money as a Notary Public plus some helpful tips.

1. Become a Loan Signing Agent

One of the best ways to make money as a Notary is to go a step further and become a loan signing agent. Loan signing is a great side hustle or full-time job for many reasons:

• You can easily earn a full-time income from it, like $150,000 a year and up. You can charge $75 to $200 and up per signing for loan signing Notary services.
• Loan signing agents can learn how to do the job quickly and start getting clients in a few weeks.
• You can work from home.
• Making money as a Notary allows you to set your own schedule for maximum flexibility.
• You don’t need a lot of experience, and there’s usually no need for a resume or interviews because your certification speaks for you.
• Once you meet your state requirements and get approved, you can start making money quickly.
• The startup and ongoing costs are minimal, and you can probably use most of the office equipment you already have.
• There’s no need to sell, and there’s enough work to go around for all Notaries.
• Unlike other high-paying jobs, you don’t need a degree to Notarize loan signings.

Loan Signing Agent vs. Notary Public

The primary difference between Notaries and Loan Signing Agents is that a loan signing agent certifies and notarizes legal and financial documents related to loans. A Notary Public confirms and witnesses other types of paperwork that need to be notarized.

1. Attend Local Networking Events

Attending local networking events is a great way to promote your services to people who may need them and find other Notaries to build relationships with.

1. Provide Free Notary Services to Schools in Your Area

Providing free notarizations to the schools in your community helps you meet other potential clients that could benefit from your services.

1. Hand Out Promotional Products

Handing out promotional products like brochures or pens to local businesses is a great way to let people know what you do. Every time they pick up that pen or use another promotional product, they’ll think of you, and you’ll be top of the mind when someone needs Notary services.

Some great businesses to promote to are:

• Medical offices
• Public libraries
• Insurance companies
• Law firms
• Signing and Title Agencies
• UPS and FedEx stores
• Accountants
• Grocery stores
• Restaurants
• Office supply stores

You can also pass them out at networking meets or other local events.

1. Be Available on Off-Hours

Many Notaries will probably choose to work regular business hours, which makes this the perfect opportunity to make yourself available on holidays, nights, and weekends.

Not everyone works daylight hours, or they may need a signing agent in the evening, so you can notarize documents when other Notaries aren’t available.

1. Specialize in Notarizing Digital Documents

Certain states like Virginia allow public Notaries to notarize digital documents through Notarize. And even if you reside in one state, you can notarize digital documents for customers in other states.

Offering this service is a great way to make money working from home.

1. Offer Mobile Notary Services

Most Mobile Notaries can charge travel expenses (within reason) for taking their services to the client. But check with your state because not all allow you to charge additional money for traveling.

1. Offer Free Notary Services to Veterans

Similar to offering free notarizations to your local schools, you can offer them to military vets. It’s a great way to give back to your community and promote your Notary business at the same time.

1. Join a Professional Notary Organization

Joining professional organizations like the National Notary Association provide various opportunities and helps you stay up to date with the latest industry news and additional marketing prospects.

1. 10.Promote Your Services on Social Media

Another great way to promote your Notary business is to post on social media platforms. LinkedIn would be perfect as it’s one of the best social media channels for professionals, and it’s not just for corporate companies.

1. 11.Create a Website for Your Business

Just about every business can benefit from creating a website. It doesn’t have to be complex or hard. Just build a website with a home page, service page, and about me page.

You can take it a step further and make sure you optimize it for SEO and have clients come to you instead of looking for them.

Starting a blog is also a great way to attract customers. You can educate them about Notaries in general and SEO-optimize your articles to rank on Google.

FAQs

What is the highest-paid notary?

New York State has the highest paid annual Notary Public salary of $56,034. Other states with high annual salaries include Colorado and California.

How much does a Georgia Notary Make?

Per ZipRecruiter, most Notaries in Georgia make between $22,439 to $37,914 annually, but some make as much as $80,472 each year.

How much can a notary charge in NJ?

A Notary Public in New Jersey can charge a maximum of $2.50 per notarial act. The state marks travel fees as N/A, so you may not be able to charge them in this state.

How much does a Florida Notary make?

The average Florida Notary salary is approximately $19.77 per hour or $46,041 per year.

How much does a Mobile Notary make in Texas?

A Mobile Notary Signing Agent in Texas makes about $88,086 annually or a little over $42 per hour. The average yearly salary of a Notary Public is $47,863 or $20.56 per hour.

Final Thoughts on How to Make Money as a Notary Public

Whether you want to be a full-time or part-time Notary, it’s a great way to make some extra income.

Most states have some type of regulations to become a certified Notary, so you want to make sure you follow all the legal requirements. Some may require a course and exam, while others may only require you to submit an application and pay a fee.

But either way, a Notary Public makes a great side hustle or even a full-time job.

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